Systems and methods for treating patients with closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma using an excimer laser unit

Abstract

An illustrative method of treating a patient having an eye condition includes determining that the patient has a closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma. The method further includes treating the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma during a surgical procedure performed on the patient. The method further includes, during the surgical procedure, treating the patient with an excimer laser to create a plurality of perforations in the trabecular meshwork by applying a plurality of shots to the trabecular meshwork from the excimer laser.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of treating a patient having an eye condition, the method comprising:
 determining that the patient has a closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma, wherein the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma causes at least partial blockage of fluid flow from an anterior chamber of an eye of the patient located between a cornea of the eye and a lens of the eye through a trabecular meshwork of the eye due to bulging of an iris of the eye; and 
 based on the determining that the patient has the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma, performing a single surgical procedure on the patient, wherein the single surgical procedure comprises:
 treating the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma with a first treatment; and 
 treating the patient with a second treatment different from the first treatment, wherein the treating of the patient with the second treatment comprises treating the patient with an excimer laser to create a plurality of perforations in the trabecular meshwork by applying a plurality of shots to the trabecular meshwork from the excimer laser, wherein the second treatment is configured to treat or prevent open-angle glaucoma in the eye of the patient. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma comprises applying phacoemulsification ultrasound to the patient. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the phacoemulsification ultrasound comprises breaking up the lens of the eye. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising, after breaking up the lens, removing the lens from the eye of the patient. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising, after removing the lens, replacing the lens of the eye with an artificial lens. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the artificial lens is thinner than the lens of the eye that is removed from the eye. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the artificial lens provides a path for fluid drainage between the artificial lens and the iris of the eye. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the determining that the patient has the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma comprises determining that the patient has closed-angle glaucoma. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating of the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma causes the bulging of the iris to decrease. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the treating of the patient with the excimer laser occurs after the bulging of the iris decreases. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating of the patient with the excimer laser comprises inserting an excimer laser probe into an incision of the eye of the patient. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , the treating the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma comprises inserting a phacoemulsification ultrasound probe into the incision of the eye of the patient. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the incision has a length of about one eighth of an inch or smaller. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shots comprises at least ten shots. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering anesthesia to the patient before the treating of the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma and before the treating of the patient with the excimer laser. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the excimer laser comprises a xenon chloride laser source. 
     
     
       17. A method of treating a patient having an eye condition, the method comprising:
 determining that the patient has a closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma, wherein the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma causes at least partial blockage of fluid flow from an anterior chamber of an eye of the patient located between a cornea of the eye and a lens of the eye through a trabecular meshwork of the eye due to bulging of an iris of the eye; and 
 based on the determining that the patient has the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma, performing a single surgical procedure on the patient, wherein the single surgical procedure comprises:
 applying a phacoemulsification ultrasound to the patient to treat the closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma, wherein the phacoemulsification ultrasound is applied via a phacoemulsification probe inserted through an incision in the eye of the patient; and 
 treating the patient with an excimer laser to create a plurality of perforations in the trabecular meshwork by applying a plurality of shots to the trabecular meshwork from the excimer laser, wherein the plurality of shots is applied via an excimer laser probe inserted through the incision, and wherein the treating of the patient with the excimer laser is configured to treat or prevent open-angle glaucoma in the eye of the patient. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , the phacoemulsification ultrasound comprises breaking up the lens of the eye. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the treating the patient with the excimer laser occurs after applying the phacoemulsification ultrasound.